To SORN for the winter.....or not ?

[Brakebuster]

hmm,

not so much about cost , as its only £125 , but will i use her ?

but then i might , lol

thing is , the insurance and the MOT will run on , even if i SORN

and the tax runs out at the end of this month

and £125 is a belly full of petrol........


hmmm

BB

[ng4xjs]

You might just as well tax it and have it available if the need arises. Saw the car at Littlecote and looks really good. Shame to keep it locked away.


Nick

[ptjs1]

BB,

Tax it, insure it and drive it on crisp bright winters days! And definitely take it out on New Years Day if the weather is right! Also drive it to the JEC AGM!

You know you want to!

Paul

[Brakebuster]

new years day , not likely

i will be on a 12 hour shift on a race day at cheltenham , as i am every year,,,,,,,, still , tripple time and all that

BB

[dhdove]

Vince

In my experience six months off the road will do your car no good at all. I think lack of use is one of the worst enemies of classic cars.
Also.......There are some lovely crisp, clear driving days to be enjoyed during the winter months.

Best
TonyS

[robv12]

mmm, tend to agree, tax it and use it when you can, that said three of mine are sorn'd from 1st Oct, BUT I just taxed two today for six months, and dug out of storage one of two possibles as winter cars for Mrs J this year as the 350 XJR will go off the road when the snow and ice comes as it sure will at some point where we are

[Brakebuster]

lol, i give up ,

she will be taxed online this weekend so i can drive her ,

BB

[robv12]

top man, I knew you would!!

[BigCatXJS]

I ALWAYS SORN between October and March

I am too lazy to keep cleaning off all the salt and winter debris that accumulates on the car during winter. Mild steel and winter are a poor combination.

I would agree that storing for 6 months is not the best thing to do. There is always some little leak that needs attending too as a consequence -but nothing major. Personally, I prefer the hassle of sorting these little issues rather than dealing with salt and winter debris and the inevitable rust caused by some sort of water exposure / egress.

That said, there are good ways and bad ways to store the car. I go with;
- clean, waxed (race glaze 45 or 65), dry car (garaged)
- inflating the tyres to 45 PSI
- having a maximum quarter of a tank of fuel
- indoor dust cover
- outdoor cover (on top of the indoor cover)
- two unibond dehumidifying tablets (one in the boot, the other in the passenger foot-well)
- CTEK battery conditioner
- hand brake off, gearbox in park

Just another opinion....

Cheers, Rich

[CliveRothwell]

I'm not too keen on salt and rubbish having spent millions on rebuilding the XJ6 series 3 which is still only worth £2 17s 6d on a good day. However, take it out on a dry day with no salt for a few days previous and it can only help. These cars arn't every day motors any longer. Those who say they are have extremely deep pockets and short memories of the pains of restoration. Remember that strange ticking noise as you stand next to your car - it's rust gremlins nibbling on the inside of all panels due to condensation.......... I also notice the tyres flat spot on the XJS after just 4 weeks so 6 months would seem too long to me. There really are too many arguements against mothballing a car. I've just locked the XJS away for 4 weeks whilst I get a new wing on the XJ6 tomorrow and I hated leaving it: it made me feel very sad indeed.

If money was no object then fuel it and use it all year round!

Just as an aside, I seem to recall my dad putting grease on the chrome over winter during the sixties! I wonder who does that these days......

cheers

Clive

[ptjs1]

Clive,

2 polished coats of Collinite 845 on the wheels, chrome and everything else. Then you can use the car without having to use white spirit to get off the grease!

From personal experience, it's really good as a winter wheel wax sealant. Although not specifically designed as a wheel protector, it seems to come tops in many product tests fro wheel sealants.

I don't have a spare garage for the XJS, which helps to influence the decision on winter use!

Paul

[poprivet]

I seem to recall my dad putting grease on the chrome over winter during the sixties!

As well as cardboard tied over the radiator grille so the engine would warm up, an old dressing gown draped over the engine at night, overnight parking lamp clipped to the side glass with croc clips on the battery, thick engine oil out and thin engine oil in, newspaper over the windscreen to stop frost and a spray can of Holts engine start ready for the morning!

[davidr]

Vince,
I think you've made the right choice. I keep mine on the road all year round so that I can sneak out on good days and give them a blast just to keep their (and my!) juices flowing.
I find that the worst thing for them is not to be used. The V12 in particular feels horrible if it's been left undriven for too long. When we have extended periods of bad weather I try to start the engines and run them up to temperature regularly but I'm not sure if this does the V12 any good. The plugs get sooty and take a good long drive to clear and the gearbox gets slow and reluctant to change down. A bit of regular use then transforms the car back into what we all know and love.
Anyway, a crisp and sunny winters day can make for a lovely drive!
Regards
David

PS. Great write up in the club magazine by the way!

[piman]

Hello David,

"I try to start the engines and run them up to temperature regularly but I'm not sure if this does the V12 any good"

I don't believe this is a good idea, even if it is quite common. The engine doesn't really get hot, although the water temperature shows normal. It creates water which goes into the oil and adversely affects it causing it to go acidic, or so I'm led to believe.

Alec

[dhdove]

Hi Rich

Queried this.....
"- having a maximum quarter of a tank of fuel"

Wouldn't you want to fill the tank to prevent condensation rotting it from the inside?

Generally light aircraft tanks are always left full for this reason due to infrequent flights

Just wondered......
TonyS